The Sultan's Daughter

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Stevie P
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The Sultan's Daughter

Post by Stevie P »

The Sultans Daughter

It was a dismal February afternoon in the year 1798. Admiral Sir Christopher Brook, his son Roger and Georgina, Countess of St.Ermins had just finished dinner.
Georgina and Roger had been discussing their on/off relationship over the previous seventeen years. It seemed impossible for Roger to settle into a man and wife relationship now as they had their own separate lives which quite often meant that they would be apart for long periods of time. To prove the point Roger was just about to set sail from Lymington on a frigate under a French flag, with a view to ruin General Bonapartes’ activities in Europe.

They set sail in relatively quiet water’s but the peace is soon shattered when a ‘genuine’ French ship enquires who they are. The crew of the ‘real’ French ship fire upon Roger’s ship and are lucky to escape to the French coast without too many casualties. They manage to escape due to the evening darkness coming to their rescue and eventually drop Roger at ‘Le Touquet’.
Despite his best efforts he is captured by French soldiers. Roger tries to tell them that he is an ’Aide de camp of General Bonaparte. They don’t believe him!!
He is examined by a French court who, believe him to be an ‘English spy’ and prepare for his execution.
Roger remind’s them that if they are wrong and shoot Bonaparte’s aide they will be in deep trouble. They decide to put him in a military cell. An ex officer who was known to Roger confirms his link to Napoleon and is set free.
He is given a horse to ride to Calais. In recognition of Rogers loyalty (to the French) he is made ‘Chief aide de camp’.
Roger then heads to the home of his old friend, Charles –Maurice de Talleyrand – Perigord. He informs Roger of current politics and colonial acquisitions (and losses).
He tells Roger that Napoleon is not going to attempt to invade England but does intend to befriend the Sultan and ‘make a bid’ for the Ottoman Empire’.
Talleyrand tells Roger that the immediate plan is to head for Egypt. Roger was not happy to go . He would have much preferred to stay in Europe and (perhaps) marry Georgina, but he knew that if he displeased Napoleon his future would suffer. He prepared to go.
The Armada consisted of thirteen ships of the line, fourteen frigates, seventy-four smaller war vessels and between three and four hundred transports. On board there were some forty thousand troops, ten thousand seamen and several hundred civilians that Napoleon had decided, for a variety of reasons, to take.
They arrived in Alexandria amongst the half ruined mosques and palaces that had fallen into disrepair. There were also squalid slums inhabited by poverty stricken people.
Roger had been here before and so made a quick visit to an old friend named Sarodopolous who was a Greek banker.
From Alexandria Napoleon heads his troops to Cairo. It was an exhausting seven day trip in the scorching sun with little water. On arrival they were met by a tremendous force of Arabs and Turks but they were no match for Napoleons’ forces. (This became known as ‘The Battle of the Nile’)
The Cairo forces surrendered.

Some days after, Roger decided to visit the city in detail for the first time. Whilst walking through the streets he heard the screams a lady being attacked. – he swung round and he saw one of the most beautiful young women he had ever seen in his life. She was approximately seventeen. Her Yashmak had been ripped from her face and there were six French soldiers around her. Despite Rogers pleading they weren’t too keen to let her go. Roger eventually had to pay a lot of money to pay off the sex starved soldiers.
Roger returned with her to his lodging’s. She told him that her name was Zanthe.
He had been away from Georgina for some six months and was keen to receive some thanks for saving her from the six soldiers. She thinks otherwise. Despite putting up a good fight Roger rapes her!!
Napoleon wants Roger to get a despatch to the Directors in France describing the Battle.
Roger then heads back to Alexandria to give the details of the battle to a Captain of a French Ship. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Nile
This he does and manages to get seconded into a battle on the side of the French against the English’ Admiral turns out to be Lord Nelson.
The English fleet overcome the French and Roger has to explain what he is doing on a French ship. He explains that Rogers father is Sir Christopher Brook who Nelson is well acquainted with. Nelson Sends Roger back to Cairo via Alexandria.
Roger meets up with Sarodopolous who gives him a beautiful diamond necklace for any young lady he may wish to adorn.
Roger then head backs to Cairo. When he gets back to his rooms he finds they are empty. The owners just took the furniture and left.
After a month in Cairo the Army was seething with discontent. Food was short, the men could not leave the camp as they would be attacked or killed and liquor was difficult to get.
On one particular day Roger happens to look across to the wharf and see’s a beautiful gilded barge arriving at the wharf. It was Zanthe. He tried to get near to her but it was impossible. The entourage was kept well away from the onlookers but Roger could see her entering the palace. This was the Sultans palace which was now occupied by the Pasha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha.
It seems that Zanthe was now a concubine of the Pasha.
Cairo was getting restless and the prime concern was to try and ensure Zanthe’s safety.
There was a general revolt beginning outside the palace and Roger and his men were keen to assist. Amidst the musket balls, Roger managed to help batter the gates down. He locates the Pasha and tell’s him not to argue.
He then takes Zanthe back to the garrison. Napolean hear’s of this and is furious and threatens to put Roger under arrest.
RB explains what has been happening and despite Napolean’s anger knows that he is far too valuable to lose and so sends Roger back to France to liaise with Tallyrand and to take despatches back to France.
Roger was prone to sea sickness and so he decided to use a ship to get him to Naples but refuses to go any further. Instead he decides to go across land. It was a decision he was to regret.
There was massive disruption as well as murder and destruction.
The Jacobins http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobin were being butchered but the criminals were being let loose to join in the orgy of murder and destruction that was taking place.
Roger managed to escape by getting on board a small fishing ‘Smack’. It took sixteen days to get to Sicily. He stayed briefly at the ‘Hamilton’s’ residence in Palermo and then onto England on the ship ‘Firefly’. When Roger awoke onboard ‘Firefly’ he realised that something was wrong. The ship was heading East, not West? A letter had apparently been forwarded to him by Admiral Nelson informing Roger to return to Egypt. He is met there by Sir Sydney Smith https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=sir+sydney+smith
He tells Roger that he is to join Napolean on his march into Acre (The then capital of Syria).
After many days of walking they are ambushed by a group of Turks. The Pasha gives the approval for all the Frenchmen to be killed by being impaled on 4 inch stakes that would be driven through them.
Zanthe was also there and she asks her father ‘the Pasha’ to be given Roger to her so that she can have him castrated for what he had done to her.
Roger was very soon standing in front of Zanthe. Alongside him was a hugely fat negro with several chins. Roger placed him instantly as a Eunuch.
Roger was thinking to himself, is Zanthe really the daughter of a Sultan?
Zanthe is keen to gain retribution against Roger and starts by cutting all his hair off. Then, the large Eunuch turns Roger on his back whilst two others pulled his boots and stockings off. They lashed his bare feet securely to the bamboo poles and lifted them waist high. Roger had a good idea of what was coming - ‘bastinado’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_whipping which was the whipping of the sensitive soles of the soles of the feet with a thin, springy rod. After the punishment had ended the soles of his feet were raw and bleeding. It wasn’t over yet.

The Eunuch’s stripped him. One of them sat on his chest. A loop of string was put over his testicles and drawn tight. Zanthe said that this was only a preparation. It will be another week before we make a neuter of you. He was taken to a sparsely furnished attic. He was thrown on a narrow divan, locking the door afterwards.
For what seemed an age the door opened.
An old negress came in with an oil lamp. She cut the string confining the testicles & put a salve on his other injuries. She also offered some soup.
After a few nights Zanthe visits Roger and pleads his pardon. It was a cover up so that no one would know that she really wanted him.
For seven weeks Zanthe gave Roger a few menial tasks whilst he recovered. Zanthe was a regular visitor to him in his attic room and all was going well until a commander of the Turkish fleet was awarded Zanthe as a wife for having defended Acre so valiantly. They were due to marry in the morning. Roger & Zanthe plan to make their escape overnight.
They walk through awful terrain and as their escape continues they get caught in some of the skirmishes. Things are looking difficult as to know which way to go to keep safe. Luckily they manage to locate a dead Grenadier Sergeant clutching a captured Standard. This was a piece of luck for Roger and Zanthe. It will enable them to get to the rear of the French lines. They would then say that they were taking it to Napoleon. They word does get through the General is delighted to see the standard as well as Roger and the Sultan’s daughter.

Dysentry & Plague was rife and so Napolean’s troops were forced to head out. Many men had had died and then Roger was struck down with the plague. They had reached Haifa & Palestine. Roger bathed in the salty sea ...which helped.
The big problem was the lack of fresh water.
The large bubo that had grown under his left arm was lanced and washed with more sea water. They then proceeded with Roger in a litter.
They headed to Dalmatia and onto Alexandria ...again!!

Roger had improved significantly to the point where he and Zanthe had been discussing marriage. There was however the problem of their different religions to concerns them. There was the possibility of the possibility of the Eastern Orthodox church which adhered most closely to the true principle’s of Christianity rather than any other religion.
Zanthe agreed.

RB was getting homesick and yearned to be back in England again. He was sick of living dual live’s. here was further fighting on the approach to Alexandria but Roger took no part in it. Roger, thanks to Zanthe recovers well enough to talk about wedding plans.
Napolean , now resident onboard an English ship summons Roger to him. Whilst they were deep in conversation , the ship sailed.
Roger couldn’t sleep that night from picturing Zanthe’s distress when she had been told of his sudden departure. The ship landed on the south coast of France near St. Maxime.
When Roger arrived back in Paris a letter was waiting for him. It was from the Minister of Police who desired to talk to Roger at his earliest convenience when he arrives in Paris. It was signed by Joseph Fouche.
Rogers most deadly enemy; the one man who had it in his power to ruin him utterly.
As the conversation progressed Roger realised that the two of them had a great deal in common with their future plans in France. Astonishingly, the meeting ended by shaking hands with each other!!!

Napoleon had been preparing a difficult speech to the French Government and its people as to the best way forward for France’s future. When it came to the crucial point, Napoleon panicked and couldn’t proceed.
At the last minute Roger stepped into the breach and gave the speech as well as he could himself. It seemed to satisfy all the dignitaries’ in the large assembly. The French nation were utterly weary of being ruled by assemblies, composed mainly of soapbox orators and cunning lawyers. They wanted a strong government led by a practical man.
They now had it – Bonaparte!!!

Josephine tells Roger that a special guest will be coming to a Christmas day dinner - Zanthe.
Roger is unsure now what to do as he really should be getting back to England to report to the Prime Minister but he really wants to stay in France and wait for Zanthe who has risked shipwreck and capture to follow him?
He decides to stay and Roger is delighted to see her, to the point where he still wants to marry her. However, it turns out that she is now married!!!!!, to
Sarodopolous. She also tells Roger that the child is not the Greeks. It is Rogers.

Tallyrand gives Roger a letter to give to the Royal Majesties in England, requesting peace.

The bad news is from the Prussian Ambassador advising that Georgina has contracted Scarlet Fever from the two children. For the children it was not a problem but for adults it could prove fatal.
Roger organises heated red wine and iron filings ground into a paste’ to be applied to get more iron into her???.

The British reject the French peace treaty!





Snippets - Arrow Paperback

Page 116 - Charles –Maurice de Talleyrand – Perigord.
One of Rogers closest friends in France
https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q= ... d-perigord

Page 146 - Chapter 9 title is called,
‘Who wouldn’t be a soldier ah! It’s a shame to take the pay’

It is from the 1st World War song, Oh what a lovely war.


Oh It's a Lovely War
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,
Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?
Oh, it's a shame to take the pay;
As soon as reveille is gone,
We feel just as heavy as lead,
But we never get up till the sergeant
Brings us breakfast up to bed.
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,
What do we want with eggs and ham,
When we've got plum and apple jam?
Form fours, right turn,
How shall we spend the money we earn?
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war.
Upto to your waist in water,
Up to your eyes in slush,
Using the kind of language,
That makes the sergeant blush.
Who wouldn't join the army?
That's what we all inquire;
Don't we pity the poor civilian,
Sitting beside the fire.
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,
Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?
Oh, it's a shame to take the pay;
As soon as reveille is gone,
We feel just as heavy as lead,
But we never get up till the sergeant
Brings us breakfast up to bed.
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war,
What do we want with eggs and ham,
When we've got plum a nd apple jam?
Form fours, right turn,
How shall we spend the money we earn?
Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war.


Page 149 - 150 - Various references pertaining to Masonic activity which suggest that he was interested in Freemasonry even if he wasn’t actually initiated.

Page 184 Roger felt that having saved Zanthe from the soldiers, he was entitled to some form of reciprocal appreciation. She didn’t agree with that and he didn’t like the idea of having to force himself on her, as he had only ever done this once before to the beautiful Natalia Androvna. So, this occasion makes it twice!!

Page 450 - Joseph Fouche. One of Rogers deadliest enemies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fouch%C3%A9
Charles
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Post by Charles »

I've just got back to the site after a while away - very much enjoyed as always, Steve !

Congratulations !!
Charles
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